Electrostatic cleaning system for removal of sand from solar panels

Hiroyuki Kawamoto; Takuya Shibata

doi:10.1016/j.elstat.2014.10.011

Electrostatic cleaning system for removal of sand from solar panels

Hiroyuki Kawamoto^*, Takuya Shibata

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

107 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

An improved cleaning system has been developed that uses electrostatic force to remove sand from the surface of solar panels. A single-phase high voltage is applied to parallel wire electrodes embedded in the cover glass plate of a solar panel. It has been demonstrated that more than 90% of the adhering sand is repelled from the surface of the slightly inclined panel after the cleaning operation. The performance of the system was further improved by improving the electrode configuration and introducing natural wind on the surface of the panel, even when the deposition of sand on the panel is extremely high. The power consumption of this system is virtually zero. This technology is expected to increase the effective efficiency of mega solar power plants constructed in deserts at low latitudes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	65-70
Number of pages	6
Journal	Journal of Electrostatics
Volume	73
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elstat.2014.10.011
Publication status	Published - 2015 Feb 1

Keywords

Cleaner
Electrostatic force
Mega solar
Sand
Solar panel

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Condensed Matter Physics
Biotechnology

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10.1016/j.elstat.2014.10.011

Cite this

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title = "Electrostatic cleaning system for removal of sand from solar panels",

abstract = "An improved cleaning system has been developed that uses electrostatic force to remove sand from the surface of solar panels. A single-phase high voltage is applied to parallel wire electrodes embedded in the cover glass plate of a solar panel. It has been demonstrated that more than 90% of the adhering sand is repelled from the surface of the slightly inclined panel after the cleaning operation. The performance of the system was further improved by improving the electrode configuration and introducing natural wind on the surface of the panel, even when the deposition of sand on the panel is extremely high. The power consumption of this system is virtually zero. This technology is expected to increase the effective efficiency of mega solar power plants constructed in deserts at low latitudes.",

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AU - Kawamoto, Hiroyuki

AU - Shibata, Takuya

PY - 2015/2/1

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N2 - An improved cleaning system has been developed that uses electrostatic force to remove sand from the surface of solar panels. A single-phase high voltage is applied to parallel wire electrodes embedded in the cover glass plate of a solar panel. It has been demonstrated that more than 90% of the adhering sand is repelled from the surface of the slightly inclined panel after the cleaning operation. The performance of the system was further improved by improving the electrode configuration and introducing natural wind on the surface of the panel, even when the deposition of sand on the panel is extremely high. The power consumption of this system is virtually zero. This technology is expected to increase the effective efficiency of mega solar power plants constructed in deserts at low latitudes.

AB - An improved cleaning system has been developed that uses electrostatic force to remove sand from the surface of solar panels. A single-phase high voltage is applied to parallel wire electrodes embedded in the cover glass plate of a solar panel. It has been demonstrated that more than 90% of the adhering sand is repelled from the surface of the slightly inclined panel after the cleaning operation. The performance of the system was further improved by improving the electrode configuration and introducing natural wind on the surface of the panel, even when the deposition of sand on the panel is extremely high. The power consumption of this system is virtually zero. This technology is expected to increase the effective efficiency of mega solar power plants constructed in deserts at low latitudes.

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KW - Electrostatic force

KW - Mega solar

KW - Sand

KW - Solar panel

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Electrostatic cleaning system for removal of sand from solar panels

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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